COMHAIRLE CHONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 08, 2006

QUESTION NO. 14

QUESTION: Cllr. Fintan McCarthy

To ask the Manager to make a statement on the current procedure for the allocation of affordable housing within the county with regard to the need to ensure that the best use possible is made of the various sizes of housing units that become available and to make changes to the system that requires people to queue up over a number of nights in order to acquire housing?

REPLY

As part of the Sustaining Progress Partnership Agreement the Government announced the provision of affordable homes using a variety of different mechanisms to deliver on the programme.  One of these was the Affordable Housing Initiative where state lands would be swapped for turnkey units.  This initiative would be delivered through the state providing lands, developers providing and selling units and private institutions providing finance to purchasers.  It was different  to any other mechanism in that there was greater imvolvement of the private sector.  The first of these to actually be delivered was the exchange of units for the lands at Harcourt Terrace.  Bids were invited from developers and the successful tenderer was Durkan New Homes who offered 193 units in Tallaght and Clondalkin in exchange for the lands.

The role of the Local Authority is the approval of applicants as being eligible for the initiative under the income limits  agreed.  The Council advertised for purchasers under the terms of the scheme and approved 193 applicants as there were 193 properties available.  The 193 approved applicants were notified on 13th April last and from that moment the direct sales mechanism and the private sale was now the responsibility of the developer.  Purchasers were dealt with in the same way that they would with any new development that was in high demand and they decided to queue in order to secure the property of their choice (within the terms of the mortgage they could secure from the bank).  The Council respects that people had the right to make that decision for themselves.

Of the 193 units available , deposits have been placed on 158 , arrangements are in hand for the sale of the remaining 35. It should be noted that the Council has received positive feedback from applicants to this initiative. When all elements of the transaction have been completed, the Council, in conjunction with all of the parties involved, will evaluate the process and if there are any changes to be made in future processes it will be agreed, collectively at that point.